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After another school massacre, Congress must act to slow gun violence: Letters

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Published 11:46 a.m. ET Feb. 16, 2018

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Several hundred people filled the Rutgers Presbyterian Church in Manhattan Thursday to remember the victims of the Sandy Hook shootings and to call for an end to gun violence.
Seth Harrison/Lohud

People mourn during a candlelight vigil at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 15 after a shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Wednesday that took 17 lives.(Photo: Dorothy Edwards/Naples Daily News)

New York needs 'Red Flag' law

Like everyone, I was shocked and saddened to see America's continued stream of gun violence come to Parkland, Florida. I'm comforted to know that New York State's strong gun laws help to keep children here safe, but the unfortunate reality is that New York and Florida are both missing a critical common sense law that could prevent shootings like what happened in Parkland.

Like many mass shooters, the man that took the lives of 17 children showed warning signs. Reportedly, the shooter was known to have firearms, and his mother had contacted the police regarding his behavior many times. But Florida does not have a “Red Flag” Law — a policy used by more and more states that empowers family members and law enforcement to seek a court order temporarily restricting a person’s access to guns when they pose a danger to self or others.

New York State has no such law, either, but luckily one is up for a vote in the state Senate and Assembly. You can help stop school shootings by calling your Senator and Assemblyperson to tell them to support the "Extreme Risk Protection Order" bill, as it's officially known. If you want to get more involved, join your local chapter of Moms Demand Action by visiting momsdemandaction.org.

We can make a difference and keep our kids safe.

Maria Scutaro

New Rochelle

The writer is a volunteer with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America

Congress must fund research on gun violence

Still we debate? Another school shooting with devastating loss of life. Enough, enough, enough. Common sense gun safety policy is a public health priority, and funding of gun-violence research needs to be restored. Here in Westchester County we are fortunate to have new leadership that recognizes the imperative for common sense gun policy. The gun show at the Westchester County Center is gone. This makes great sense and is a strong statement on what we will not tolerate in our local community.

As a nursing professor and public health advocate, I am proud of the new leadership we have in our County that is finally acting on the problem of gun violence, not merely offering prayers and thoughts. They are not enough. Nurses know firsthand the devastating impact of gun violence. We see the horrific injuries, the lives that are ended, and we comfort the families that are shattered. We can and must do more to keep our communities safe. Enacting common sense gun safety regulations and funding of critical public health research into gun violence are actions that can be taken immediately. Courage to act is what is needed. It is time for every public official to refuse to accept funding from the NRA. Our president and Congress have failed us.

People dressed in veils hold photographs of individuals killed by guns during a vigil at Rutgers Presbyterian Church in Manhattan to mark the fifth anniversary of the Sandy Hook School shootings Dec. 14, 2017. The vigil was sponsored by Moms Demand Action and a coalition of over thirty organizations. (Photo: Seth Harrison/The Journal News)

Keep hope and sign Sandy Hook Promise

We have had far too many moments of silence since Sandy Hook. Our children and community deserve real action to stop the epidemic of gun violence in our country. We're not alone and we're not helpless. There are many seemingly simple, yet powerful things we can do today!

More and more of our neighbors are uniting to bring the change we need. The phones in Congress are ringing off the hook with calls for common sense gun reform, peaceful rallies are growing in numbers in cities across the country, and families and friends are gathering together in their own living rooms to talk about bringing violence prevention programs to their schools. The movement is growing and we must keep growing it.

There is reason to have hope that we can prevent gun violence before it happens. Sensible gun safety laws and programs in our schools and communities can help us identify the signs and signals before a shooting happens and intervene.

To keep this hope alive and bring the change we need, I am asking everyone to take two simple actions today. First, call your member of Congress today and ask that he or she support gun violence prevention legislation to keep guns out of dangerous hands. Secondly, "make the promise" at www.sandyhookpromise.org and help bring Sandy Hook Promise's no-cost, violence prevention programs to our schools and community.

Mark Newman

Irvington

Hold Congress accountable for 'concealed carry' vote

After the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, we should remember those who voted in the House of Representatives for the proposed Concealed Carry Act of 2017 (it passed the House on Dec. 6, 2017). Speaker Paul Ryan and the GOP majority supported this bill, which would permit anyone with a concealed carry permit form anywhere in the United States to carry their concealed weapons in any state in America, regardless of state gun laws, thus eviscerating the gun control laws of states like New York.

Six Democratic members of Congress voted for it and 14 Republican members of Congress who voted against. Four members did not vote. Please check the names of those who voted for it from the official record of Congress. Their names should live in infamy, as they are complicit in mass shootings in America.

Who in America really believes in their hearts and minds that reasonable gun control, properly enforced by states and the federal government, would not have prevented tens of thousands of gun deaths each year for at least the last half a century. Remember and vote as if your life depends on it, because it does.